Flightless Bird
by itsluciole
Summary: Chapter 614 / Tenten's reaction to Neji's death.


**Flightless Bird.**

Basically chapter 614 broke my heart in millions pieces and I'm seriously not okay about how Kishimoto treated Neji's team. I started writing this right after the chapter but kinda dropped it because of the other fics I'm writing, ugh. But I'm glad I managed to finish it !

Please tell me what you think, good or bad. I'm French so I assume my English isn't perfect, so please feel free to correct any horrible grammar mistake/nonsense I may have made.

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"Neji Hyuuga is dead. "

It crossed her mind like a bullet and Tenten stood in the battle field, speechless. It took a moment for her brain to assimilate the information, for her heart to acknowledge it.

"_People share only one common fate…" _Neji's voice echoed in her head, so much alive._ "Death."_

She closed her eyes to shut the pain. She could feel Lee's chakra getting messy and her teacher straightening next to her. She knew they were feeling the exact same as her, but she also knew that they would keep their positions no matter what, and as long as it would take to kill those sons of bitches, just like she would. They would endure, because they were Ninjas and it was War. They had duties, responsibilities, and they couldn't afford to be in grief, to mourn; not now, not in battle, not in front of their enemy, not when millions of lives depended on their victory.

"_Never show your emotions."_

There were rules. And Tenten knew that to be able to deal with death was one of them. She chose this path knowing it: Ninjas protect others people's life with theirs. She knew it and she was ready to give her life if necessary. But dealing with someone else's death, someone you love, that was something completely different, and there was no way anyone could ever be ready for that, _ever_.

Dying is so much easier than facing a loving one's death. Because we picture death as a peaceful, final destination. When you die, you just _go_. Death is not much than a dreamless sleep. There's no pain, no grief, no anger, no remorse; nothing. Those who suffer are the ones left behind. Losing someone is like a part of you is torn out, it's bloody and painful and you're left with an ugly, empty hole in your chest. You're alive, and you just wish you were dead because, damn, you _feel_. You feel and it hurts. It hurts _so much_. It's the kind of pain medicine can't heal, the kind of tired sleep can't fix.

You're alive, but you're broken.

And that was it; she could feel it, all this anger and despair messing with her, just wanting to explode out of her. She could feel that bloody hole in her chest only wanting to suck the life out of her.

But she stayed still. She swallowed all of it and her fingers tightened on her kunai as she watched their entire life scrolling in front of her eyes, like birds flaying away.

Neji wasn't someone you fall in love with at first sign.

He was cold, arrogant and unfriendly. But at the time, she didn't mind, she wasn't fascinated by the person; she was in admiration of the fighter, a pure genius, and he was _her _team-made. She took every moment she had to learn from him, the way he was thinking about strategies, his moves, his techniques. It was nothing more, until Naruto came to their life.

The Orange ninja and The Hyuuga's fight was one of the most memorable fights to ever take place in the Chuunin Examination Arena. Memorable for the quality of the fight, but more than everything, for the game changing: a Hyuuga had lost against what everyone at the time called a loser. And as a punch in the face of destiny, Naruto's fists and words changed something in Neji. Slowly, the cold and unbreakable shell the boy was hiding behind started to fade.

She would always remember the first time she heard him laugh. She had made a joke about Lee and they were kindly teasing each other when Neji suddenly laughed. It was the first time she ever heard him genuinely laug, whole-hearted, and it sounded so sincere and so _pure_ she almost cried. It was so much more than just a laugh for her. It was like, after everything they've been through together, after getting out of the darkness of his childhood, he finally getting rid of all this hate and anger in his heart and letting the light in, letting _them_ in. And because of that, it was the most beautiful melody she ever heard.

She remembered his irritate sighs when she and Lee were teasing him about his little manners and obsessions, how he would roll his eyes at their comments, or the way he frowned when he didn't understand something and the serious look he had when he was focused.

She remembered the group-hugs he was dragged in, how he would say that it was awkward and unnecessary, but still hug them back.

She remembered the way they trained late, sometimes just the two of them because their team-mate was too busy with his own weird training, and when they were tired, they'd just lie in the grass, next to each other, watching the stars.

She remembered that time he helped her after she hurt her hand and was desperately trying to nurse her but failing miserably. _What kind of genius doesn't know how to put some bandages?_

"That's not funny, Ten." he sighed still concentrated on her hand.

"Actually, it is." she laughed.

She caught him smile and she just stared at him because even if it wasn't the first time she saw him smile, she always felt like it was something precious. Neji wasn't a smiling person, so when he did, it was like a treasure.

"God you are SO not talented at this." She joked looking back at her hand.

"I suggest the girl who hurt herself with her own weapon stop making fun of me."

She snorted. "It's your fault. I was disturbed by your eyes."

He raised an eyebrow. "Since when are my eyes so disturbing? You were doing well since now."

"Since now." The words spit out of her mouth without asking her brain.

He looked at her, with those deep, fascinating white eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and there was something in his voice she couldn't quite point out.

She stared back at him and without thinking twice, without even thinking at all really, she bent forward and kissed him. It was chaste, just a soft brush of lips, but nothing had ever felt so _right_ before.

"Pretty much what I meant…" she murmured, slowly pulling away.

That's when he didn't react that she realized what she just did. _Oh god this is it_, she thought. Now was the moment their relationship would go awkward forever. Had she spoiled everything? Then why didn't she feel sorry at all about what just happened?

"I see." He finally said, surprisingly calm. "Well, I don't think that's a good reason for you to train like a gennin."

He was looking right at right, through her. "I deal with it perfectly."

"Who are you calling a genni-" She started before understanding. "Wait. What. You deal with it- Do you mean…?"

He moved closer and stopped a few centimeters away for her face. "May I?" he asked, sounding like a perfect gentleman. "Just to show you what I mean."

She nooded and he closed the space between them.

She remembered every single moment of intimacy they shared after that first kiss. She remembered everything so clearly it was killing her. She was feeling like it was yesterday and a hundred years ago at the same time. How bitter-sweet.

She wanted to be mad at him for leaving her, but how could she? He died to protect the person who freed him from his destiny of misfortune, more than dying to protect most important person in the ninja world, more than applying his Ninja's duties, he died for a _friend_. And she knew, oh she was sure of it, he died smiling. Because he was that kind of person; he _became _that kind of person. And what could she do other than loving him even more?

She felt she tears coming to her eyes and she looked up at the sky to hold them back. That's when she saw it: an eagle, flying in the blue sky, beautiful, _free_. And she smiled.

Neji wasn't a caged bird anymore.


End file.
